498 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



common, it would seem, to all the members of the genus. All 

 those I observed were busily engaged in collecting their insect 

 and saccharine food from the flowers of a species of dwarf 

 JEiucalyptus. 



Its note is rapidly repeated, and much resembles the 

 double call of the Pardalotus striatus, but is much louder 

 and more distinct. 



The breeding-season lasts from August to February. The 

 nests observed were constructed in the fork of a small dead 

 branch in an exposed situation ; they were very similar to 

 that of Meliornis longirostris, but more shallow and less 

 neatly formed. The eggs also closely resembled those of that 

 bird, the ground-colour being delicate buff*, clouded with a 

 reddish tint at the larger end, and distinctly spotted with 

 chestnut and purplish grey, thickly disposed at the larger 

 end, but very sparingly over the rest of the surface ; the 

 eggs are nine and a half lines long by seven lines broad. 



The sexes present no difference in colour or markings, but, 

 as usual, the female is much less in size. 



Forehead, lores, a narrow ring round the eye, and a narrow 

 line running from the angle of the lower mandible white ; 

 crown of the head black, each feather slightly margined with 

 white ; ear-coverts blackish grey, behind which an irregular 

 line of white; all the upper surface brown, irregularly margined 

 with white, producing a mottled appearance ; wings and tail 

 brown, the primaries margined externally with yellowish 

 green ; chin and throat brownish black, the former minutely 

 speckled with white; under surface of the wing buff; chest 

 and abdomen white, striped with blackish brown on the flanks ; 

 irides dark brown ; naked skin round the eyes dark brownish 

 black in front, arterial blood-red behind ; bill black ; legs and 

 feet greenish grey. 



Total length 5f inches ; bill f ; wing 3 J ; tail 2f ; tarsi f . 



